John Mills Sr. (abt. 1687 - abt. 1760)

Born about 29 Jan 1687 in England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died about 24 Nov 1760 at about age 73 in New Garden, Guilford, North Carolina

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Biography

While the birth of John Mills is commonly seen as 29 Jan 1687, there is no documentation of his birth, his parents, or his place of origin although most researchers agree he was likely born in England. This profile has been project protected to prevent the reattachment of undocumented parents (John Mills and Sarah Harrold) and wives other than the two documented. See Research Notes for speculation regarding his arrival in the American colonies in 1700 at age 12.

Researcher Ruth Ladd speculates John came to Philadelphia about 1691.^[1] His first marriage to Rebecca Harrold was about 1708 and with her he had five known children. The death of Rebecca Harrold has not been found recorded but various deed transactions and the birth of son William show she has passed after 1730 (when she signed the marriage record of son Thomas) and by 1741.

The book Walk Cheerfully Over the Earth by descendant James O. Bond^[2] states that a handwritten account of the arrival in Philadelphia by great-grandson Jeremiah Mills was once in the possession of a great-great-granddaughter Belva Bennett and read as follows: My great grandfather, I cannot tell how many generations back, came from England and arrived in Philadelphia in the early days of that now populous city. There was another young man with him by the name of Harrold. On landing I suppose they had nothing but their hands to depend on for a living and lumber for building being in demand these two young men bought what was called a whip saw and went to work. How long they continued in this line of work I am not able to say, but it was until they wore the saw out, then they broke it in tow and made themselves hand saws, one of which I remember to have seen as a boy. It was the Mills family property..."

John was a member of the Quaker group which secured 100,000 acres of land in the Shenandoah Valley in 1732 and founded the Quaker settlement near Winchester in Frederick County, Virginia. He acquired title to 1315 acres in what is now Berkeley County, West Virginia. In the patent this is described as "on a branch of the Opeckon near but not adjoining Lewis DeMoss' land." The DeMoss family is first found in Baltimore in 1715. In 1743, John made deeds conveying part of this land to each of his four sons wherein he is described as "John Mills, Sr. of Prince Georges County, Maryland, farmer." On this land stood the Mills Creek Baptist Church, the first of the denomination in the Shenandoah Valley.^[1]

John married a second time by early 1742 to Rebecca ____________ and with her had seven children between 1742 and 1757.

John passed away 24 Nov 1760, presumably at New Garden, Guilford County, North Carolina.^[3][4] He is believed interred at the New Garden Friends Cemetery, Guilford County, North Carolina but there is no burial record or grave maker.^[5] As was common for the era, there are no grave markers in this Quaker cemetery prior to about 1820.

Wives

It may be seen that his first wife was Rachel Bates but this is proven erroneous. (Note: Ruth Ladd is one of many to erroneously give his first wife as Rachel Bates based on a misread of a marriage record in Boston. Similarly, the work of James O. Bond cited elsewhere on this profile also misidentifies the first wife as Rachel Bates, even suggesting her probable burial location though it is the likely burial location of Rachel Harrold.)

Children with Rebecca Harrold

Both of John's wives were named Rebecca, the first being Rebecca Harrold whom, based on the birth of known children, he married about 1708 and presumably in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

• Thomas - b 1709
• John (Jr) - b 27 Dec 1712
• Hur - b 1714
• Henry - b 23 Nov 1720
• Mary - b abt 1724

Children with Rebecca ______________^[4]

The maiden name of John's second wife has not been found.

• William - b 27 Oct 1742
• Rebecka - b 15 Feb 1745
• George (twin) - b 8 Dec 1747
• Benjamin (twin) - b 8 Dec 1747
• Alias (Alice)(daugther) - b 22 Aug 1750
• Tabitha - b 8 Apr 1853
• Jonathan - b 14 May 1757

Will

28 Sep 1759, Rowan County, NC ^[6]

Transcription of the will of John Mills, Sr. [7] In the name of God, Amen, the 28th day of September, 1759. I, John Mills senior of the County of Rowan of Province of North Carolina, being sick and weak in body but of sound and perfect memory thanks be to almighty for the same and calling to mind the uncertainties of this frail and mortal life of that it is appointed for all men once to die and after death to come to judgment, do make and ordain this my last will and testament disnuling and revoking all former wills made by me; and as for such worldly estate it has pleased God to bless me with in this life; I give devise dispose of bequeath of as followeth: Imprimis; First and principally I recommend my soul to almight God my creator; Secondly I recommend my body to the earth to be buried in a Christian and decent manner at the discretion of my (illegible) hereafter named: I give and bequeath unto my wife beloved wife Rebecah Mills all my movable goods, cattle, lands, debts and demands due to me to be left to her discretion for the support of her children to her of her heirs, executors, administrators and assigns forever. I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Mills by my former wife, one shilling starting with that part he hath already received to him, his heirs and assigns forever. I give and bequeath unto my son John by my former wife, one shilling starting with that part he hath already received to him, his heirs and assigns forever. I give and bequeath unto my son Hur Mills by my former wife, one shilling starting with that part he hath already received to him, his heirs and assigns forever. I give and bequeath unto my son Henry Mills by my former wife, one shilling starting with that part he hath already received to him, his heirs and assigns forever. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Beeson by my former wife, one shilling starting with that part she hath already received to her, her heirs and assigns forever. I nominate my wife beloved wife Rebecah Mills whole and sole executive of this my last will and testament. In witness thereof I have set my hand and fixed my seal this twenty-eighth day of September, one thousand seven hundred and fifty nine. Signed, sealed and published, and pronounced by the said John Mills sen. as his last will and testament. In presence of: William Beeson, William Baldwin, John Baker John O. Mills, his mark and seal

Research Notes

From a Mills family researcher: ""John Mills married twice and both wives were named Rebecca. There was no marriage to Rachel Bates that can be substantiated. John and Rebecca Mills both signed the marriage certificate of their eldest son Thomas in 1730. John MILLS' will of 1761 Rowan Co., NC clearly names his first batch of children by name and indicates they were by his former wife leaving each 1 shilling. The rest of his estate went to his well beloved wife Rebecah for the support of HER children who are not named in the will. The second Rebecah is also named executor. From Hinshaw's Vol.I we learn that Rebeckah was his second wife and their first child William was not born until 1742. This suggests to me that his first wife was still living in 1730 when her son Thomas married and she is a different Rebeckah from the one who he married after her death and began having children with 12 years after son Thomas Mills married. I think it is highly unlikely that he was married to wife #2 in 1730 and it took them 12 years to produce a child from the second marriage."

Binkley-335 13:04, 2 April 2017 (EDT) I found a marriage certificate for a John Mills and Rachel Bates for 5 Oct 1743 in Boston, Massachusetts. This is clearly not the same John Mills, as the John Mills of this profile was married to Rebecah in North Carolina, in 1741. ^[8]

An immigration record exists for the arrival of a John Mills in New England in the year 1700, primary Immigrant John Mills, age 12. It is possible this person was indentured as a servant but this is unknown. This cannot be documented to be the John Mills, a common name, of this profile.
Name: John Mills
Birth Year: abt 1688
Arrival Year: 1700
Arrival Place: New England
Age: 12
Source Publication Code: 1219.6 ^[9]

Records regarding John's first marriage were destroyed in a fire^[10], and the Hopewell Meetinghouse records have been lost^[10]

Hopewell Friends, compilers, Hopewell Friends History (1734-1934), Frederick County, Virginia, Shenandoah Pub House, Strasbourg, Virginia, 1936. Contains numerous entries regarding John, the children, particularly as it pertains to various land deeds.

John Mills was born 29 January 1687. ^[11]

He emigrated from England^{[citation needed]} to North America around 1708. ^[10]

He resided in Monoguisie Province, Maryland, in 1730. ^[10]

He was a Quaker. He and his son John Mills Junior were the "Fathers of the Colony" of Hopewell Meetinghouse in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia around 1730. ^[10]

He resided Rowan County, North Carolina, in 1754. ^[10]

He married and had children:

1. ~1708^[10] Rebecca^[12] Unknown.
   1. 1709^[12] Thomas Mills. ^[10]
   2. John Mills. ^[10]
   3. Hur Mills. ^[10]
   4. Henry Mills. ^[10]
   5. Mary Mills. ^[10]
2. ~1741 Rebeckah Unknown. ^[10]
   1. 1742 William Mills. ^[10][12]
   2. Rebecca Mills. ^[10][12]
   3. George Mills. ^[12]
   4. Benjamin Mills. ^[12]
   5. Alice Mills. ^[12]
   6. Tabitha Mills. ^[10][12]
   7. Jonathan Mills. ^[12]

John died Rowan County 24 November 1760, aged 73. ^[11][10]

He was buried at New Garden Friends Cemetery. ^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Ladd, Ruth Kline, One Ladd's Family, typescript, 1974. This work is generally thorough in its research with sources given for each family section. Available at FamilySearch. Note that the bibliography for the Mills family section is one the page prior to the Mills family.
2. ↑ Bond, James O., Walk Cheerfully Over the Earth, Gateway Press, Baltimore, 1985, pp 18-19 citing Mills, Paul, Mills Family History, Quaker and Other Early Arrivals, p 5. It must be noted that this book gives an unproven yet frequently seen parentage for John Mills.
3. ↑ North Carolina Yearly Meeting Minutes. Hege Friends Historical Library, Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina. Guilford, New Garden Monthly Meeting Minutes, 1700-1900
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Hinsaw, Wm Wade, et al, compilers; Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, I:510, New Garden Monthly Meeting (NC) minutes
5. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #117963341
6. ↑ North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998; Indexes to Wills, and Wills, 1757-1942; Author: North Carolina. Superior Court (Rowan County); Probate Place: Rowan, North Carolina. Original is found in Rowan County, Record Book A, Pg 124
7. ↑ completed by Binkley-335 on 02 Apr 2017; hard copy retained in personal files.
8. ↑ Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988; Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook)
9. ↑ Coldham, Peter Wilson. The Complete Book of Emigrants: A Comprehensive Listing Compiled from English Public Records of Those Who Took Ship to the Americas for Political, Religious, and Economic Reasons; of Those Who Were Deported for Vagrancy, Roguery, or Non-Conformity; and of Those Who Were Sold to Labour in the New Colonies. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. 1700-1750. 1992. 743p. Place: New England; Year: 1700; Page Number: 10 (Filby, P. William, ed. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2012.)
10. ↑ ^{10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16} "The Family of Quaker John Mills: (abt 1689-1760) From England to Pennsylvania and North Carolina", by Donna (Schrock) Birkey, https://birkey.org/articles/park-parke/the-family-of-quaker-john-mills, citing minutes of New Garden Monthly Meeting, and will of John Mills Sr.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117963341 : accessed 11 December 2018), memorial page for John Mills, Sr (29 Jan 1687–24 Nov 1760), Find A Grave Memorial no. 117963341, citing New Garden Friends Cemetery, Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina, USA ; Maintained by Dave Mills (contributor 47620700).
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8} "Baker, Beeman, Boyer, Crown, Estep, James, McBee, Nusbaum, Shally, Turner and related families", 2013, by Gwen Boyer Bjorkman, https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=gwenbj&id=I840 citing Cheska Wheatley

This is a work in progress anyone's help is welcome please show a source or put as a note on the side -- Snyder-2616